Charles Praises His Sons' Courage

September 19, 1997

Prince Charles, on his first public engagement since Princess Diana's funeral, said Friday he and his sons had been "moved and immensely comforted" by the public response to her death. Speaking publicly for the first time about Diana's death, Charles praised the courage of Prince William, 15, and Prince Harry, 13, and said the warmth of people's support had been "remarkable and indeed in many ways overwhelming." Charles said the boys are coping well with the loss of their mother. "But obviously Diana's loss and death has been an enormous loss as far as they are concerned and I will always feel that loss," he said. Charles, addressing community leaders in Manchester, said, "It is inevitably very difficult to cope with grief at any time, but perhaps you might realize it is even harder when the whole world is watching at the same time."